Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant 
***************

Here’s the transcript if you’d like to read:

I’m here on the Campus of the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. And I could say that the College of Wooster is another one of those Mid-Western surprises. I’ve had on this trip where you walk into the campus and are really shocked by how really wonderful it is. I can’t say I was completely shocked because I knew from reputation that this is a really solid academic school. It’s kind of under the radar screen for a lot of people but a fantastic little liberal arts college in Ohio.

The thing I wanted to mention is the way I visit colleges. I tend not to go on canned admission tours. I tend to just show up kind of unannounced without a lot of fanfare or giving them prior warning of my visit. Then I walked into the Admissions Office today at 4:15, okay it closes at 5.

Immediately they said, let’s get you in touch with the person, what are the admissions reps and he sat down with me. He talked with me for about 40 minutes. He gave me kind of a personal tour of the campus as much as he could before he had to run off to pick up his wife. But really took a personalized – he gave me personal attention. And that’s really indicative of what the College of Wooster is all about spending the time and the energy and giving personal attention to each and every student.

Loren Pope put the College of Wooster in his book 40 Colleges that Changed Lives and, you know. It’s not surprising just my little experience here on an August day when the campus is pretty dead to walk into the Admissions Office and get a lot of personalized attention. We just met with the professor he was walking out of his office, stood there and talked with us for a few minutes, really impressive place.

Yes, the landscaping and the architecture yes that’s kind of a surprise to me. Because it really does kind of help to get a feel of the physical plant of a college. But really by reputation College of Wooster is one of those places that they take – maybe their students are diamonds in the rough not necessarily the tippy top academically. They will take students who have academic potential and they will mold them into scholars. That is really the hallmark of education here at Wooster, excellent education, someplace that is definitely off the radar screen for a lot of students but it shouldn’t be. This is a high value education and it deserves more attention.

The post College of Wooster – Changing Lives first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

The post Get Into the Best Colleges For You first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Part of a series on Bates College.
Part 3 … Part 5

TRANSCRIPT:

Another thing that sets Bates apart from many of its competitor schools. If you will, is that the outdoors is an integral part of this campus. It is located in Maine, which is a beautiful state, and the outdoors is so much a part of what Mainers are really about. So you have the mountains and skiing that’s about an hour away, it’s really great, fantastic skiing. And then you have one of the most spectacular natural sea coasts in North America. So you’ve got plenty of outdoor opportunities.

Now keep in mind, of course, this is Maine, so there will be snow on the ground. It’s green and beautiful today in the summer. But there will be lots of snow on the ground so it’s winter sports. And Bates also has Division I skiing, including Nordic skiing so winter sports are really, really popular here.

So outdoor activities, if you’re interested in getting outside, going camping, going hiking, being part of the beautiful outdoors of America, Maine and Bates: you need to think about those.

Mark Montgomery
Expert Educational Consultant

The post Educational Consultant on Bates 4 of 5: An Outdoorsman’s College first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

TRANSCRIPT:

One of the other things that I found were interesting about Bates is the history matters. History matters with a lot of these colleges and Bates is very different from most of the other New England colleges in that it was set up by Free Will Baptists. And the Free Will Baptists were committed to ensuring that Bates was a campus that would be welcoming, not only to the local community and to America’s elite.

But also to women, so it was the first college in New England to accept women and also other minorities, including blacks. This was set up before the end of the Civil War, and from the very beginning they accepted freed slaves into the campus community.

So why does that matter? Well, it’s part of the ethos. It’s part of the way that Bates thinks about itself and presents itself and projects itself into the world, that this is a progressive learning community. It’s an intentional community that has always been diverse. That has always been accepting of people of every stripe, including every religious background, every socioeconomic class, every ethnic background.

So that is just one of the core principles at this college that does set apart a little bit. Everybody’s going to talk about how they’re into being welcoming and tolerant and accepting. And of course that’s part of the American reality today. But Bates has walked the walk from the beginning of its history whereas some of the Ivy League schools, well, all of the Ivy League schools. And many other elite small colleges in New England just didn’t begin that way. So that’s an important part of Bates’ history to keep in mind.

Mark Montgomery
Expert Educational Consultant

The post Educational Consultant on Bates 3 of 5: A Welcoming Community first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Here is a list of some of the most important things to remember while you study in the United States so that you don’t find yourself faced with a violation of the F-1 regulations:

• Make sure that your data is always current in the SEVIS system. What is SEVIS? SEVIS stands for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, a database maintained by the U.S. government that holds information on all international students in the United States, including their addresses, school programs, work authorizations, and other data. While the school’s Designated Student Officer (DSO) is responsible for entering information into the SEVIS system. To keep your record in order, you are responsible for getting that information to the DSO.
• Always have a current paper copy of your I-20.  An I-20 is a SEVIS-generated document issued by your school which contains your personal, financial and academic information, and is signed by you and the DSO.
• Do NOT engage in employment off-campus without proper authorization. F-1 Visa students are not allowed to work, except in very limited circumstances. (We’ll explore this topic in more detail in a future blog post.)
• Maintain a full course load; “full-time” means 12 credit hours for undergraduates and 9 credit hours for graduates during the entire fall and spring semesters.
• Keep your school and USCIS informed of any address changes. International students must report any change of address within 10 days. Since some students move frequently, it is easy to forget this rule, but it is very important. There is no reason to risk an interruption or premature conclusion to your studies in the U.S. because you forgot to tell USCIS you moved into a new apartment.

Before going overseas, always make sure you are allowed to travel and that you have proper documentation to return to the U.S. Remember to check with your DSO about travel regulations, particularly during the summer. You must carry an original I-20 with a recent travel signature, and a passport valid for at least 6 months. The F-1 visa in your passport must be valid. If not, you will need to make an appointment to apply for a new F-1 Visa if you are still eligible.

When travelling, you should also carry the following:

The post International Student Immigration Issues #4: Maintaining the F-1 Visa While Studying In the United States first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

• Freshman space available:  362 colleges
• Transfer space available:  374 colleges

Although it may seem that there are fewer and fewer slots available for students trying to get into college, this year had more schools reporting that they had space still available after May 1 than in the previous 12 years!
Also, if you think that you can’t afford to apply to school as a late applicant because financial aid resources will be all gone, think again!  Over 370 schools reported that they had institutional financial aid still available for late applicants.
One caveat, is that you still must be considered a “qualified applicant” to gain admission at these schools.  In other words, just because they have space, and you apply, this does not mean that you will get accepted.  If you had no chance of gaining admission during the regular admissions period, you won’t get accepted during this late application period, either.
Here’s just a very small sampling of schools who are still accepting applicants:

1. Albright College, PA
2. Albion College, MI
3. University of Arizona, AZ
4. College of the Atlantic, ME
5. Drew University, NJ
6. Eckerd College, FL
7. Elizabethtown College, PA
8. Evergreen State, WA
9. Gordon College, MA
10. Guilford College, NC
11. Hofstra University, NY
12. Hood College, MD
13. Juniata College, PA
14. Kalamazoo College, MI
15. Knox College, IL
16. Lawrence University, WI
17. Loyola University, MD
18. Manhattanville College, NY
19. University of Maryland-Baltimore County, MD
20. Mills College, CA
21. New College, FL
22. Oglethorpe University, GA
23. Seton Hall University, NJ
24. Stetson University, FL
25. Smith College, MA
26. Susquehanna University, PA
27. University of San Diego, CA
28. University of Tampa, FL
29. Villanova University, PA
30. Wheaton College, MA

To see the whole list of over 350 schools, check out the NACAC site by clicking here.  The list is available and updated through the end of June.
If you’re interested in applying to any of the space available schools for the Fall of 2012, you should contact the school admissions office directly to ask them how to best do that.  But, do it soon.  Space is available for now, but may be gone quickly!
Andrea Aronson
College Admissions Specialist
Westfield, NJ

The post It’s Not Too Late to Apply for Fall 2012 Admission at Some Great Schools! first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Great College Advice

The post There are no SAT Tests in the Summer! first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Are you ready to make your commitment? How are you spending these last few days leading up to May 1 deciding?

– Flipping a coin?
– Trying that t-shirt with the college name on the front on one more time?
– Getting feedback from the people you trust?
– Reading the fine print on the financial aid forms once again?
– Chatting online with current students to get your final questions answered?
– Writing pro and con lists?
Everyone makes their final decision in a different way. My advice? It echoes that of our NACAC 2011 keynote speaker, Jonah Lehrer. Go with your gut.
Go with what your instinct tells you. You’ve visited the campuses, spent the time researching, read all of the brochures, gone on the website hundreds of times and now the time has come to take the next step. Listen to what your gut is telling you and ask yourself, “Will I be happy here?” Is the answer yes? Then sign your name on the dotted line and start getting excited for this new adventure you are about to embark on!

The post Seniors, Are You Ready For May 1st? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

These are just a few highlights. There are lots more out there to explore!

Great College Advice

The post Looking for a College Focused on Sustainability? first appeared on College Admission Counseling.

Video Recap:

After a visit to the University of Northern Colorado, I had a chance to connect with one of my graduate school friends who now works in residence life. She shared a few tips about filling out the housing application.

1) Be honest on the housing application. Students, please please please – fill it out yourself! Whether you are messy or clean, a late riser or an early-to-bed kind of person, or a smoker/nonsmoker. You want to let the housing office know so they can match you with a roommate who will complement your style.

2) Look for living and learning communities. Living and learning communities are great ways to connect with students who share a common interest. There are often extra perks such as taking classes right in your residence hall, access to special field trips, guest lectures, proximity to your classes, etc.

3) You are going to be sharing space. Be ready to learn how to compromise! Sharing your room can be a challenging experience. If it is your first time doing so. Set up a contract with your roommate and certain guidelines you want to follow to be respectful of one another.

The post Tips for Filling Out Your Housing Application first appeared on College Admission Counseling.